World, Middle East

Libyan tribal chief survives second assassination bid

Car-bomb attack in Benghazi injures seven, including son of prominent tribal leader

04.08.2017 - Update : 07.08.2017
Libyan tribal chief survives second assassination bid File photo

By Jihad Nasr

TRIPOLI, Libya

Seven Muslim worshippers were injured on Friday when a car bomb exploded outside a mosque in the city of Benghazi, a local security source has told Anadolu Agency.

According to the source, who spoke anonymously due to security concerns, Saleh al-Ateyosh, head of the Union of Libyan Tribes in Eastern Libya, was the attack’s likely target.

While the tribal leader survived the attack unscathed, seven other people were injured in the blast, including his son, the same source added.

If al-Ateyosh was, in fact, the intended target of Friday’s car bombing, this would make it the second attempt on his life in less than a year.

Considered an important local political figure, Al-Ateyosh survived a similar car-bomb attack -- also in Benghazi -- last November.

The perpetrators of the two attempts on his life remain unknown.

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